The regular mechanical optical fiber splice is used in the connection of two optical fibers to maintain optical signal transmission. The mechanical optical fiber splice includes two parts, the fiber fastening section and the jacket (or named as “buffer”) fastening section. Please refer to FIG. 1, which is the diagram in U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,892 entitled “OPTICAL FIBER MECHANICAL SPLICE”. In FIG. 1, a splice device 10 is shown, in which an adjustment screw 11 is configured to fasten the fiber fastening section 12, and two stud clamps 13, 14 to fasten the jacket fastening sections (i.e. V-grooves) 15, 16, respectively. Since a screw driver and stirring by hand is needed, the splice device 10 might be less convenient for use.
Please refer to FIG. 2, which is the diagram in U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,902 entitled “OPTICAL FIBER SPLICE AND METHOD OF USE”. In FIG. 2, a splice device 20 is shown, which utilizes a capillary tube 21 to receive two optical fibers 22, 23. Further, two jacket fastening sections 26, 27 are formed after an upper section 24 and a lower section 25 are assembled together. Since a relatively large space exists within the passageway 28 and the optical fibers 22, 23, the optical fibers 22, 23 are not fastened directly. Therefore, it exists the drawback of insufficient stability. Please refer to FIG. 3, which is the diagram in U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,630 entitled “OPTICAL FIBER THREE-ROD CONNECTOR HAVING A ROD-SECURING CLIP”. In FIG. 3, an elastic fastening clip 30 is shown, which utilizes three slender cylindrical rods 31, 32, 33 to fasten the optical fiber 34. Further, the optical fiber fastening section 35 is inherently obtained by the space formed within three rods 31, 32, 33. Since only the optical fiber 34, rather than the jacket 34, is fastened, the stability of such a structure might still be insufficient.
Please refer to FIG. 4, which is the diagram in U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,477 entitled “STRAIN RELIEF MEANS FOR OPTICAL FIBER SPLICING MEMBER AND IMPROVED TOOL FOR MAKING THE SPLICE”. In FIG. 4, a splice device 40 is shown, wherein the cable end of the jacket is contained in the cable receiving channel or opening 48, which is composed of four components: (1) an insert 41 disposed in the slot 42; (2) the opposed groove 45 of two parallel plates 441, 442 of a clip member 43; (3) a parallel slot 46 of the lower part of the base; and (4) a center wall 47. Further, the jacket fastening effect is obtained by upwardly and downwardly actuating the clip member 43. Since the structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,477 is complicated and the jacket rather than the optical fiber is directly fastened, it also has the drawback of insufficient stability.
Please refer to FIG. 5, which is the diagram in U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,746 entitled “RAIL-TYPE DEVICE FOR MECHANICALLY SPLICING OPTICAL FIBERS”. In FIG. 5, a splice device 50 is shown, in which the optical fiber 55 is preliminarily engaged by a longitudinal base panel 51, a bottom center embossment 521 of a optical fiber clamp 52, and two bottoms 531 of a pair of jacket clamps 53. When a cover 57 with a pair of rails 56 slides along the rail grooves 59 of the longitudinal body 58 to a top center embossment 522 of the optical fiber clamp 53, the top embossment 532 of the coating clamp 53 and a pair of top side embossments 523 of the optical fiber clamp 52 are simultaneously engaged so as to fix the optical fiber 55. Since the structures disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,746 are complicated and it is the optical fiber 34, rather than the jacket, of the optical fiber is engaged. Therefore, stability also might be insufficient.
Please refer to FIG. 6, which is the diagram in U.S. Pat. No. 5,963,699 entitled “OPTICAL FIBER MECHANICAL SPLICE”. In FIG. 6, a splice device 60 is shown, which preliminarily engages two naked optical fibers 64 and two single jackets 65 by using the central lid 62 and two linearly configured terminal lids above the base member 61. Further, a positioning protrusion section 67 of a thin and long spring clamp 66 engages a corresponding depression section 68 of the central lid 62 and the terminal lids 63 and a corresponding depression section (not shown in FIG. 6) of the base member 61, so as to engage the base member 61, the central lid 62 and two terminal lids 63 and fasten the naked optical fibers 64 and the jackets 65. Since the naked optical fibers 64 and the jackets are fastened by merely taking advantage of the elastic property of the clamp 66, the drawback of elastic fatigue can hardly be avoided and the drawback that the optical fibers cannot be forcefully fastened after a long period of time due to the fatigue issue.
Therefore, the problem that the optical fiber fastening section and the jacket fastening section of the optical fiber splice cannot be connected tightly for a long period of time needs to be resolved. Regarding the above-mentioned deficiency, the inventor of the present invention endeavors in the experiments, tests and researches to obtain an optical fiber mechanical wedge splice, which not only resolves the drawback due to fatigue of the metal clamp, but also is convenient for fast fastening the optical fiber splice. It also renders that the issue to be resolved in the present invention is to overcome the problem that the base member and the lid cannot be fastened for a long time of use, the problem that the neighboring blocks cannot be easily wedged with each other to be fastened tightly due to the beveled surface of the first wedge, and the problem how to tightly fasten the optical fiber rather than the jackets.
It is therefore attempted by the applicant to deal with the above situation encountered in the prior art.